1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for determining types of recorded data cards, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for determining whether or not a recorded data card, which has been inserted into a reader/writer, has a predetermined magnetic recording region (magnetic stripe), and whether or not the card has a predetermined integrated circuit (IC) provided thereupon, without touching the card.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there have been proposed a recorded data card on which multiple data recorded regions (magnetic stripes) are provided, and a recorded data card on which, in addition to multiple data recorded regions, an integrated circuit (IC) or the like is provided, in order to achieve benefits such as improved security and increased recording capacity. Such cards are known as complex cards.
Types of the above recorded data card include a single-stripe card, having only one magnetic stripe, and a double-stripe card, having two magnetic stripes, and the like. Conventionally known cards with integrated circuits have IC contacts of a variety of differing shapes, positions and the like.
However, card reader/writers, which are used with the above type of conventional recorded data cards, only determine whether or not a given card is of a predetermined type after the processing of the card has commenced. In other words, the reader/writer determines whether or not the card has a predetermined magnetic stripe/s, namely whether or not the magnetic stripe/s on the card is/are in a predetermined position, after the magnetic head has played back the data contained in the magnetic stripe/s. And, conventional card reader/writers are only able to determine whether or not a card has an IC contact of a predetermined shape after actually connecting to the IC contact of the card.
Therefore, even in the case of a card which does not have a predetermined magnetic stripe, the conventional card reader/writer first scans the card using a magnetic head, and, when unable to playback or record correct data, the card reader/writer identifies the card as one which does not have a magnetic stripe and processes the card accordingly. Similarly, in the case of a card which does not have an IC, or an IC card having an IC contact which is not of a predetermined shape or in a predetermined position, the conventional card reader/writer actually carries out a connection to the IC contact, and, when unable to playback or record correct data, the card reader/writer identifies the card as one which does not have a predetermined IC and processes the card accordingly.
Thus, conventional card reader/writers cannot determine whether or not a card has a predetermined magnetic stripe without actually scanning the magnetic stripe portion using a magnetic head, nor determine whether or not a card has a predetermined IC contact without actually connecting to the IC contact.
For these reasons, the card cannot be processed promptly and the card user has to wait for a considerable time. Furthermore, unnecessary magnetic scanning (sliding of the magnetic head), which is performed even when a card which has no magnetic stripe has been inserted, and unnecessary IC connection, which is performed even when a card which has no IC has been inserted, or when an IC card which does not have a predetermined IC has been inserted, cause damage and the like to the cards and consequently shorten their effective life.